Chapter 87: Gotham’s Future Part 1

After dealing with Roulette, Arias returned to his room, where less than two minutes had passed. With Roulette now working for Lex as an insider, Arias could focus on other matters. To have Gotham fully under his control, one person needed to be dealt with properly, and that was Bruce Wayne. Although he could no longer act as Batman due to the laws restricting unregistered heroes, he could still play a vital role in the running of Gotham's affairs.

The case regarding his parents having used illegal means to gain wealth wasn't solid enough to cause major damage to his company. Although the reputation of his late parents took a fall, Bruce himself only needed to pay an appropriate fine, given the contributions he had made to the city so far.

For now, Bruce hadn't yet made a direct move against Arias for obvious reasons. Arias had very little information in existence that could prove him guilty of any wrongdoing. With no information, Bruce or Batman couldn't act, no matter how suspicious he felt about Arias. But the more Arias did, the easier it would become for a trail to appear.

Arias knew this himself, so before he could even consider expanding his operations, he needed Batman to either disappear or be pacified. Any other do-gooders in Gotham either lacked the power or resources to be a significant threat to Arias's plans.

As Arias stood in the center of the room considering his options, a knock resounded at his door. Upon opening it, he found Diana standing there with a somewhat troubled look. He inquired, "Is something bothering you?"

Diana nodded and explained why she had come. "Yes, although it isn't my place to ask, I must know. That criminal Slade took away, was he killed?"

Arias wasn't expecting Diana to be bothered by this, given her stance on killing was loose as long as the person deserved it. Regardless, he didn't hesitate to answer.

"Yes, he was among the two people who once tried to take my life, so I took his in turn. Do you find my actions wrong?"

Although he doubted it, he felt the need to ask. But just as he thought, it wasn't the case as Diana shook her head before replying in a tone of concern.

"No, not at all. Harley already revealed to me what that man had tried to do. I had become curious because you took only him but left the other two, so I asked Harley to explain." She continued, her tone shifting to a serious and determined one. "If Slade hadn't done it, I surely would have. So please confide in me your troubles from now on. My mother once told me that great men shouldered a great weight, a weight that could only be lightened with the help of a woman. As your friend, I will be that woman who will share in your burdens because you've already helped with mine."

The Amazonian princess patted her chest proudly and looked at Arias sternly; it wasn't a question but a declaration. Arias found her naïve nature both laughable and endearing. He couldn't help but release a light laugh and shrug. "If that's what you want, then by all means. In fact, you can start helping me tomorrow."

Diana smiled at his acceptance of her statement, not realizing the gravity of her own words. Arias wasn't about to deny an asset like her, willingly helping him push his goals forward without questioning his actions or methods.

It was still too early to say that he could do as he pleased, but unless he went on a rampage killing innocents, the chances of Diana turning against him were incredibly slim.

...

The following day, Arias had chosen a route to take regarding dealing with Bruce, and that route involved Barbara Gordon. Today, he, along with Wonder Woman, visited Gotham High to give a motivational talk and launch his fake internship program. To sell the idea, he had Vicki Vale of the Gotham Gazette come along with a huge camera crew to televise part of the whole thing.

Right now, he was in the student gymnasium where the school and faculty had gathered to hear him deliver a short talk. Standing at a lone podium on the stage with all eyes on him, Arias showed a charming smile for the cameras before speaking.

"I'm not a man who likes to waste time with sophistry, so I'll just get to the point of why I am here. Gotham's future—that's what I see gathered before me this day. Future politicians, doctors, athletes, and the like, that's who you young men and women are."

"But is that all you want to be? As you know, the world is changing at a rapid pace. Superhumans, aliens, futuristic technology, and many other things we once thought impossible are now appearing in abundance right before our eyes."

"And the ones to lead this new age upon us are you all. Aliens also need medical care, superhuman sports will become a thing, new laws will need to be made, new technology will need to be studied; the possibilities are just endless."

"That's why I plan on introducing part-time programs to the schools of Gotham, offering young minds the chance to peer into what will be the future in their spare time, starting with Gotham High. Since this school has also boasted the best grades in the city, I've also decided one of you will get the chance to have a paid internship under me."

The moment Arias revealed this, the bleachers went into an uproar, but he wasn't done. A small smile crept up on his face as he proceeded to reveal his next alarming piece of information.

"Aside from that, I'd like to announce that the once failing Gotham State University has been bought and privatized by me, and so has Gotham High. Come the new semesters, both schools shall be the first of their kind to offer these new courses while also being the first open to alien and superhuman students and faculty alike."

This news sent the people gathered into an even bigger uproar. Even Vicki wasn't expecting such a huge story to pop up during this, but Arias delivered and did so in a very grand manner.

The news was so huge, one wouldn't think he had bought both institutions the previous night. For Gotham High, which was city-owned, the process was relatively easy and cost him nearly nothing. But for Gotham State University, which was state-owned, he needed to present over $500 million.

A heavy sum, but definitely cheap for an established university. This was thanks to big shots he was blackmailing who had significant connections to the governor. Because of this, the huge transaction took only a few hours to complete, surprising not only the people but the business world too.

Arias knew it was only a matter of time before someone saw the benefits of launching a school for superhumans and aliens, so he chose to do so first. Now, even if others were to launch, they would be a step too late. They would either need to build a university from the ground up or buy one, both processes that would take time unless one had numerous billions, a good reputation, public persona, and connections to move the processes along quickly.

Arias didn't know about other nations, but as of right now, he had just claimed a monopoly over the younger generation of superhumans and aliens—the foundation of his organization.